The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:
FISHNAPPER
Nancy Twigg called her husband last week with some sad news. On the morning of Jan. 12, she found four of the couple's 16 goldfish and koi dead a few feet from their backyard fish ponds. "I wasn't sure how the fish got from the frozen-over pond to the ground," she said. Some claw tracks in the snow near the lower pond led her to some answers. (Frederick News Post)
NEW PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY EXEC
Prince William supervisors have finally selected a new county executive and will announce the details at a press conference Tuesday at 3 p.m. in the McCoart Adminstration Building. Craig Gerhart left the position months ago for a contract job with Amtrak. Assistant county executive Susan Roltsch has since filled the shoes. Following an extensive and nationwide search, and interview of a select few at Old Hickory Golf Course a few weeks ago, supervisors have found a permanent replacement. (Insidenova.com)
HYBRIDS OK ON HOV LANES
Veteran hybrid vehicle owners could have another year to drive solo or in pairs in Interstate 95 and 395's carpool lanes. For drivers who bought and registered their clean special fuel vehicle in Virginia before July 1, 2006, several bills have been submitted in the Virginia General Assembly to extend a passenger exemption. Under the proposed legislation, these drivers would have through July 1, 2011, to drive in High Occupancy Vehicle lanes at rush hour on I-95/395, regardless of the number of passengers.
The current exemption expires on July 1. (Fredericksburg.com)
MARYLAND BUDGET WOES
Union officials are bracing for potential layoffs when Gov. Martin O'Malley unveils his fiscal 2011 budget plan on Tuesday. "We're not taking anything lightly," said Patrick Moran, director of American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees. "We think any number of layoffs is going to hurt the services being provided, and we take any layoffs seriously." (Gazette)
DC REAL ESTATE "TOP MARKET"
Foreign investors in real estate say D.C. is the top U.S. city for their dollars, according to an annual survey by the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate.The survey was conducted in the fourth quarter of 2009 among nearly 200 members of the D.C.-based association, representing 21 countries. Respondents own more than $842 billion of real estate globally including $304 billion in the U.S. (Washington Business Journal)
